


Let's Get Out Of This Place || Phandom Reverse Bang Winter 2020 event

by AnironSidh



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Closeted Character, College, Dan Howell/Phil Lester Fluff, English Student Phil Lester, Gay Dan Howell, Gay Panic, Gay Phil Lester, Huddling For Warmth, Inspired by Art, Law Student Dan Howell, M/M, Phandom Reverse Bang, Reverse Bang, Road Trips, and i have no remorse for that lmao, broken heating, trope filled
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:34:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnironSidh/pseuds/AnironSidh
Summary: It was fine, he was fine, honestly. Maybe going on a road trip for most of winter break with his best friend who he had a crush on wasn’t his best idea, but nothing would happen anyways. Phil wouldn’t ever like him back, Dan was too much of a disaster for that, so he’d just keep ignoring it and move on.-Or, Dan is tired of being closeted and stuck in a law degree program he doesn't want anymore, so Phil suggests a road trip over winter break to get away from it all.
Relationships: Dan Howell & Phil Lester, Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Kudos: 7
Collections: Phandomreversebang face the music





	Let's Get Out Of This Place || Phandom Reverse Bang Winter 2020 event

One day, it was  _ fine _ , and the next he felt ready to explode. The dozen essays he’d stayed up all night to do, dodging the girl he’d gone out with the week before despite having barely any interest in her (it’d been an utter disaster if you asked Dan), or maybe it was the increasing chill in his dorm no matter how many blankets he piled on that had done it, but something in Dan needed to  _ do something _ . 

The library was warm enough, luckily, once he’d rubbed some feeling into his frozen arms and legs. 

“Hey,” a familiar voice called from behind the graphic novels shelf. A head of dark hair arranged into a careful fringe poked out into the aisle a moment later with a stupid grin and about a dozen books in the guy’s hands. 

Dan finally let out his breath. “Hey, Phil.”

The two of them wandered over to a table as Phil launched into an explanation of his English lecture that morning, something having to do with a bizarre question one of his classmates had asked, and Dan rested his chin on his arms to watch Phil’s rather animated movements. A sense of contentment washed over him. Most of his time spent with Phil was like this, just sitting and hanging out without feeling stressed like he did with most people. 

“Anyway,” Phil said, reaching across the table to poke Dan’s nose. “How’s  _ your _ day been?”

Dan paused, shaking his head with a snort. “You really don’t want to know,” he said. “I’m literally about to drop out.”

Phil frowned and Dan rushed to continue, “It’s just everything, you know? My law coursework is too bloody difficult, and I don’t like it anymore, and I’m tired of going out with random girls to hide how much of a disaster human I am, so it’s all just…” His words left him then, replaced by a confused movement of his hands around his head as if it conveyed what he couldn’t find the words for. He just felt so  _ tired _ from everything that it seemed as if he’d explode soon from everything. 

“Are you going home after exams?” Phil burst out after a long moment. “I don’t think you should drop out yet, but maybe we can do something? Like… a road trip! Just us, no uni or anything. Mum and Dad are going to Florida, so they’re dropping their car off here for me to use over winter break. What do you think?”

The thought of going back to his childhood bedroom sent Dan into a  _ dizzying _ spiral, thinking about sitting in there to avoid awkward conversations with his parents about how law school was going, or if he’d found a nice girl yet, and being compared to his brother every five minutes, so Dan nodded and tried to be as casual as possible when he said “Sure, I’d like that.”

Phil’s expression brightened. “Ace! Okay, so they’re dropping the car off this Saturday when break starts, so we could get going right away if we’re packed.”

“Okay,” Dan murmured, smiling despite himself. The dark cloud hanging over him seemed to thin ever so slightly, as if a ray of sunshine had been let through. It might be just enough, he thought, to get him through until break. 

-

The saturday after break had  _ finally _ arrived, Dan startled awake when someone knocked insistently on his dorm room door. He trudged over and cracked it open to see Phil, bouncing excitedly on his heels with a set of car keys in his hand. 

“Mum and Dad already left,” he said by way of a greeting, “and they had to get going to get to the airport so they weren’t late for their flight, so I’ve got the car already!”

Dan blinked the sleep out of his eyes. Phil’s bounciness was  _ way _ too much for how bloody early it was. Given the choice Dan wouldn’t have been up for another few hours, at least noon, so Phil being at his door at- he nearly swore upon seeing his clock reading 8 AM - this hour felt like way too much to ask of him. 

“Mkay,” he mumbled, nowhere near awake enough for full sentences. “So?”

Phil shrugged. “I’ve got all my things in my backpack,” he said, turning around to show Dan the blindingly rainbow sparkly backpack on his back and the pillow with a green and blue pattern on the pillowcase, “and the earlier we get going, the further we’ll get today! I think we’ll just drive and see where we feel like going.”

“I have to pack first,” Dan managed as he stepped away from the door to rummage through his drawers and began tossing clothes into his black backpack, after dumping his books on his bed that is. Phil stepped in and dropped his bag by the door after he’d closed it behind him, stacking Dan’s books onto his desk and flopping backwards onto his bed. Dan pointedly ignored Phil on  _ his _ bed and quickly pushed the thoughts he had about  _ that, _ and another situation it could’ve happened in if maybe he wasn’t too afraid of losing his only real friend here, away in favor of sorting through his trousers drawers to find the ones with the least holes so he wouldn’t freeze his legs off. 

It was  _ fine _ , he was  _ fine _ , honestly. Maybe going on a road trip for most of winter break with his best friend who he had a crush on  _ wasn’t _ his best idea, but nothing would happen anyways. Phil wouldn’t ever like him back, Dan was too much of a disaster for that, so he’d just keep ignoring it and move on. 

“Got everything,” he said not too long after, slinging the black backpack onto his back and his pillow under his arm. Phil stretched on the bed before he got up, his sweatshirt riding up slightly and revealing a bit of skin that Dan definitely did  _ not _ stare at until it disappeared, and crossed the tiny dorm to his own bag and pillow. Dan spared one glance behind him before he shut his door behind him and followed Phil out of the building and into the crisp winter air. 


End file.
